Isaiah 54:6-10

DISCOURSE: 978
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS COVENANT ENGAGEMENTS

Isaiah 54:6. The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go ever the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

THE covenant of grace, as securing to the believer all the blessings of time and eternity, is not considered by any means so much as the importance of it demands. There is in the minds of the generality, a jealousy respecting it, so that they can scarcely bear to hear the subject stated as it is in the Holy Scriptures. But we must not conceal any thing; and least of all should we keep back from you that which is the fountain and foundation of all the other blessings which you either have or hope for. Certain it is that there is a covenant, called in my text, “The covenant of God’s peace;” the provisions of which are here set before us with singular force and clearness.
The whole passage may be considered,

I. In reference to the Jewish Church—

[To them it primarily refers. The Jewish Church is hero represented as a repudiated wife, put away for her unfaithfulness to her Maker, who calls himself “her husband [Note: ver. 5.].” Great and manifold were her offences against him: and most justly did she merit the displeasure with which on different occasions she was visited. In the days of the Judges she was often delivered up to her enemies, who oppressed her with the heaviest yoke of bondage: at last she was sent into captivity in Babylon: and at this hour is Jerusalem a desolation, having for eighteen centuries been trodden down of the Gentiles, and left without a temple, or priest, or sacrifice, or any ordinance whatever.

Yet is she not finally cast off. Her Divine Husband yet remembers his covenant-engagements, though she has forgotten hers; and his oath will he fulfil, though she has violated hers in ten thousand instances. His wrath against her, though so richly merited, is “small and transient;” whilst the mercies which he has prepared for her are “great” and “everlasting.” “He has yet thoughts of love and peace towards her;” and will in due season restore her to her former privileges; yea, and load her with benefits far beyond any which she ever before enjoyed. The very “sun shall be ashamed, and the moon confounded,” in the day that he shall visit her with his mercies; so utterly will all creature enjoyments be swallowed up and annihilated by the manifestations of his love [Note: Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 30:26. See the glories of that period described in ver. 11, 12. compared with Isaiah 60:13.] — — —

Of this he graciously assures her, by a two-fold representation; first, in a way of comparison, and then in a way of contrast. At the time of the deluge, God promised with an oath to Noah, that he would no more deluge the earth: and appointed the rainbow itself (which, as being a reflection of the rays of the sun from the drops of rain, marked the actual descent of rain at the time) to be a pledge that he would fulfil his word. In like manner, says God, “I have sworn to thee, that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee” to thy utter ruin: and thou mayest regard the very afflictions with which I visit thee, as a pledge of thy future restoration: for “I will not make a full end of thee; though I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished [Note: Jeremiah 30:11.].” Again: Of all things which may be deemed stable upon earth, the hills and the mountains may be regarded as the most firm and immovable: but, says God, the hills and mountains have been, and shall be, removed: but it shall not be so with you; for “the covenant of my peace shall never be removed.”

The manner in which God speaks of himself, whilst announcing this determination, is yet further worthy to be noticed: for he does not call himself by any name that would inspire fear and terror, but by names importing the most tender love: not “The Lord” thy Creator, thy Governor, thy Judge; but, “The Lord thy Redeemer,” “the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”

Now it is this view of the covenant which encourages us in all our efforts for the conversion of the Jews: for we know infallibly, that they are not cast off for ever; that they are still beloved of God for their fathers’ sakes; and that in due time they shall be engrafted in again upon their own olivetree, and experience, Doth in a temporal and spiritual view, such prosperity as they never yet enjoyed even under Solomon himself. Our trust is, not in any efforts of man, but in the power and fidelity of God. And though in their present condition they are as dry bones, very dry, reduced to dust, and scattered over the face of the earth, yet are we sure, that, by the simple preaching of the Gospel to them, they shall arise, a whole army [Note: Ezekiel 37:1; Ezekiel 37:10.]. Yes, “the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this:” as we are assured by many similar declarations of the prophet Jeremiah [Note: Jeremiah 31:35; Jeremiah 33:23.] — — —]

But the passage must also be explained,

II.

In reference to the Christian Church—

We do not approve of limiting to the Church of Christ a multitude of prophecies which belong primarily to the Jewish Church. On the other hand, we must not rob the Christian Church of that interest which she has in them. It is observable, that the very first verse of this chapter is cited by St. Paul as applicable to the Christian Church [Note: Galatians 4:26.]: and at the close of the chapter all the rich promises contained in it are said to belong to her: “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord (whoever they may be); and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord [Note: ver. 17.].” Now,

The Christian Church stands in the relation of a Spouse to Christ—
[So it is represented through the whole Book of Canticles. So it is declared by the Psalmist [Note: Psalms 45:10.]. The same is affirmed by our Lord himself [Note: Matthew 9:15.], and by all his Apostles [Note: John 3:29; Ephesians 5:32.Revelation 21:9.] — — —]

But too often does she provoke the Lord to hide his face from her—
[How often have the Church at large, and every member of it in particular, alienated their hearts from God, and adulterously placed on the creature those affections which were due to him alone! — — — Too true is that accusation which he brings against us, that “we have played the harlot with many lovers [Note: Jeremiah 3:1.]” — — —

What then might we not expect, if God should deal with us according to our iniquities? What, but that he should cast us off, and swear in his wrath that we should never more be received into his favour?]
Yet still does “God remember his covenant” towards her—
[“He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever.” He will not break his covenant, though we have broken ours: nor will he violate his oath, though we have violated ours times without number. “He will visit our transgressions with the rod, and our iniquity with stripes:” (and, if the chastening us with whips will not suffice, he will “chastise us with scorpions, even seven-fold more, for our sins [Note: 1 Kings 12:11.Leviticus 26:18.]): “nevertheless his loving-kindness will he not utterly take from us, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail: his covenant will he not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips: for once he has sworn by his holiness that he will not lie unto David [Note: Psalms 89:33.].” He knew what we wore, and what we should be also, if left to ourselves, before he chose us: yet did he bid us live, and spread his skirt over us, and entered into covenant with us [Note: Ezekiel 16:6; Ezekiel 16:8; Isaiah 48:8.]. It was on this very account that he in his covenant undertook to do for us all that related either to the pardoning of our guilt, or to the sanctifying of our nature [Note: Jeremiah 31:11.]: and engaged, not only never to depart from us, but never to leave us to depart from him [Note: Jeremiah 32:39.]. Of all this he has assured us by promise and by oath, on purpose that by “these two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest consolation, if we have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before us [Note: Hebrews 6:17.].” If our continuance in his favour had depended altogether on our stability, who would ever be saved at last? (It is of the grounds of our security that we are now speaking, and not of the means; of them we shall speak in another place.) Our final stability must be the work of his grace, as much as our first inclination to serve him: all our good works from first to last must be wrought in us by him [Note: Isaiah 26:12.]: and when he chose us, he chose us to the end, and to the means; or rather to the end by the means [Note: 2 Thessalonians 2:13.]: and “his gifts and calling are without repentance [Note: Romans 11:29.].” Our security then rests upon the unchangeableness of our God [Note: Malachi 3:6.], “whose compassions fail not [Note: Lamentations 3:22.],” and “with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning [Note: James 1:17.].” I again repeat, that he may hide himself from us, and for a long period too, as it may appear to us; for it is both his right and his property to do so [Note: Isaiah 45:15.]: but “his anger” will endure but for “a little moment;” and though our “weeping may endure for a night, joy shall come to us in the morning [Note: Psalms 30:5.].”]

In a review of this subject,
1.

Let none, however desolate their condition may be, indulge despair—

[This is the true use to be made of this important subject. Let not Jews despair of being restored to the favour of their God; but let them plead with God, as their forefathers did [Note: Isaiah 63:15.] — — — and accept the invitation which God himself has given them to return unto him [Note: Jeremiah 3:12.].

Nor let Christians who are under the hidings of God’s face despond. Let not any of you ask, like David, “Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? This were only to betray your own infirmity [Note: Psalms 77:7.],” and to shew your utter ignorance of God [Note: Isaiah 40:28; Isaiah 49:14.] — — —

You will say then, What shall we do? I answer, Lay hold on God’s covenant, and look to him to fulfil every part of it. Approach your God with penitential sorrow, as the Church of old did; “We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Yet do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory; remember, break not thy covenant with us [Note: Jeremiah 14:20.].” See how David pleaded under similar circumstances [Note: Psalms 27:9.]: and resolve, as the Prophet Isaiah teaches you, “I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him [Note: Isaiah 8:17.].”]

2. Let none, however confident of their state before God, be guilty of presumption—

[Of the book of God’s decrees we know nothing, but as it is made visible by facts. Respecting any man’s election to eternal life, we can judge only by his works. One thing is clear; that “he who committeth sin is of the devil;” and “he that doeth not righteousness is not of God [Note: 1 John 3:8; 1 John 3:10.].” Hence, if we are living in the wilful commission of any one sin, or habitual neglect of any one duty, we have no ground whatever to imagine that we are of the number of God’s elect. To fancy therefore that a work of grace has been begun in us, and to conclude from thence that God will carry it on unto the end, whilst daily experience proves that it is not carrying on, but that we are the willing slaves of sin and Satan, is only to deceive our own souls, and to surrender up ourselves an easy prey into the hands of our great adversary. Our wisdom is, to seek an union with the Lord Jesus Christ by faith; and not to be dreaming of privileges which we do not possess: for, as it is certain, on the one hand, that no man can be saved who lives in any allowed sin, so it is equally certain, on the other hand, that no one can ever perish who flees to Christ for refuge, and relies altogether upon him for “wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.” This then must be our daily work: and so far is the covenant of grace from superseding this duty, that it affords us our greatest encouragement to perform it; because it assures us, that we shall “never seek God’s face in vain,” and that “they who trust in him shall never be confounded.” Whilst therefore I would say to the trembling Believer, Look to “the covenant, which is ordered in all things and sure [Note: 2 Samuel 23:5.],” and expect God to fulfil all the promises of it to your souls; to the Unbeliever I would say, Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, to wash you from your guilt, and to renew you by his Spirit. Respecting the provisions of the covenant trouble not yourselves, till you have an evidence in your own souls that you desire deliverance from sin as much as freedom from condemnation: and get your souls well instructed in a thorough experience of the first principles of repentance and faith, before you presume to build your hopes either on the secret decrees of heaven, or on any fallacious arguments deduced from them.]